New Mexico Part 2: The Folk Art show and Santa Fe

none of the people in this photo are us

Let's just get right to the point: what did we eat that was good? Well, it was all great from Moi's phyllo wrapped fish served with salad on arrival night, to Pete's roadhouse and live band venue's Christmas chile plate with pork to the awesome awesome salad at the "Flying" something to the Grove sandwich. But the best was at Cafe Pasqual in Santa Fe. Moi and I ordered the carne asada and it was very tasty. The peppers especially were wonderful. There were 3 varieties and each had a distinct flavor with none of the heat taking over that flavor. But if there is one regret I have from this trip it is this: when I tasted the corn cake with veggies special that Boxer ordered? I should have called the waitress over, handed her my plate and ask her to box it up, and then ordered what Boxer had. Life is too short not to have done that. I am still thinking about what I missed. Because that was the best single bite in the entire 3-day trip. Way to pick it, Boxa!

This was the late lunch we had after going to the International Folk Art Show. I have to say, Santa Fe puts on a great event. I did not take any photos of the artists in their native dress, it seemed exploitative and I also didn't want to photograph the work just in case they were worried about design theft (like many artists are). I will just show you some of the things that I purchased. I didn't have much of a budget  because my big bang was spent on getting there. But here are a few, not all, of the things I bought:

Four desert plates from artist Abdullo Narzullaev from Uzbekistan

Assorted cheap and colorful papier mache toys from Mexico; one devil is of particular interest:

All the summiteers think that this fellow "looks like somebody". Like a character actor or maybe a guy in a band. Or maybe it is a "type". Whatever it is, we have all seen him before - in human form.

A hand painted Sacred Heart cross. I love it. Im going to buy more from this shop for gifts. I also gave V a Sacred Heart (with the flames coming off the top) as per Moi's suggestion. It was a great idea, he loved it and it is in our kitchen over the window - a place he selected. Much better than a t-shirt from the airport gift shop.

A scarf from India. That's about it - I did buy a ceramic bell shaped like a mouse and a few trinkets for the children in my life. We had planned to go to Jackalope a famous folk art emporium but I put the brakes on that - having exceeded my budget quite a bit.

We did not see that much of Santa Fe. I was expecting poshy poshy but it was more eclectic and earthy than that. The prices of things were very high though; I briefly admired a blouse until the price tag said 198. and I let go of that sucker like it was red hot. Moi and I agreed that the lacey western dresses were almost but "not quite" the right garment to wear with cowboy boots; they needed to be not so white and a tad less girly girl. I looked hard at a concha belt. But in the end, I walked away. Yes! I loved the town square, the zocalo of green with people laying out on blankets and having kettle corn and ice cream. We also visited a gallery that carried the work of Boxer's brother. It was wonderful to see his work in person as he is a very accomplished painter.

On the way back we drove through a little town where I believe Moi said they just gave away land to whoever would come and live there. Naturally it is an artist haven. Outside of that town is where Boxer and I took photographs of the fire (see previous post) and of our Lady Driver of Patience:

Moi, I want to thank you again for having us out. It was a wonderful weekend and you made it really special. Thank you for the wonderful gift bag, the meals, the deers and beers and your charming company. Loved the dogs, SB, that newport lighter, the art you had, hittin' golf balls for Maddie, seeing Ivan come through the dog door, the neighborhood dog-gauntlet walk, learning about how much I hate white flower based perfumes, laying in the hairy dog bed and, well, ALL of it. XO

Hundred Mile Horizons

*click it to big it*

New Mexico: A high-contrast landscape under a cerulean half-dome; the inverse of the view of Earth from space. The air was thin and dry and fragrant with sage and juniper. That was my favorite thing, the aroma. It was the opposite of my forested southern home, heavy with verdant decay, dirt, sweet smelling flowers, and creek. Speeding along on the highway the colors seemed a homogenous dun; visual relief dependent on shapes and textures. But up close, the beauty is diverse and subtle. For a person that never has a view of uninterrupted sky, living shrouded in diffused and filtered light through ten thousand sparkling greens, the light and space was nothing short of a miracle.

The blood of cowboys and indians seemed to burst forth in the form of cactus flowers; the shocking pinks punctuated the spiny hosts with cheer. The grasses were tipped at times with tails as bushy as a coyote's. Others were crowned with whispy fans of white seed pods waiting to set sail over the desert. Lizards peered from behind rocks, and there was fencing everywhere. "To keep out" said Moi, "not to keep in". I fell in love with the coyote fences, made with saplings bound tightly together in upright rows. The uneven lengths and color variations were delightful, and I resolved to make a southern version for my garden.

the fires blending in with the clouds *click it to big it*

There was a fire. There were many fires. You could see it burning far away and you could sense it just beyond the horizon. You could also see rain several places at once all around you. Gray curtains were falling in a very small area while right next to it the sun shone through clouds like the eye of God. It was an endless flat vista dotted with globular green shrubs until a steppe would rise abruptly from the plain, and beyond that mountain ranges in blue cooled the eye. Moi told of imagining a Navajo youth having this entire landscape open to him; of course there would have been no notion of ownership, just a life on a land alive with adventure and danger. So uninterrupted by structures and power lines, the area we traveled is used for western movies because it actually looks as it did centuries ago.

the courtyard at San Felipe de Neri

In Olde Town we visited San Felipe de Neri, founded in 1706. It was Spanish but spare and very european in its decor. It seemed so formal in contrast to the dusty adobes outside. It opened into the town plaza, a green square surrounded by shopping and eating destinations.

We shopped of course. I was looking for a new straw hat to add to my collection. I selected a rather stiff hat made of palm in Guatemala with a perfect shape and a unique banding on the underside of the brim. I love it. I found plenty of small things that I liked; trinket like in price range but all having a quality that I found agreeable.

A collection of tin trimmed Santos

The bubble ring with the Blessed Virgin inside. I bought it and I am still wearing it.

Back at Moi's lovely home in the hills we were surrounded by chirping birds and plenty of hummers; titmice and western bluebirds; three species of doves and a gold finch with a black cap. The dogs were a study in contrast, the elder statesman Ivan with the regal and exotic face and Maddie the border collie with mad focus and a loving gaze. From the patio where we enjoyed our evening cocktails we could see collections of conifers, grasses and flowers, and the skeletons of cacti strewn about on a pastiche of rocky hardscaping.

Moi outfitted us with gift bags and mine had a special shot glass for me to enjoy my libation: a deer and a beer; which is a shot of Cazadores tequila and a long neck mexican beer. Her selection of a shot glass was an amusing choice - spot on humor -  and I am sure that she would never have guessed that it would now grace my dresser as a vase to hold sweet little blooms that keep the perfumes and bracelets company.

"cuz I, some how, some way, come up with funky ass sh*t, like, ever-ree-day"

Next: We go to the International Folk Art Show in Santa Fe.

Golden

Golden sunflowers and bright lights cosmos have given way to fall asters and goldenrod. My flower bouquets for the farmers market turned from bold candy colored blooms to airy displays of delicate pastel forms. The sun has dipped south and now 3 pm has a fainter light than 7:30 pm had in early august. I could smell fall on the wind near the end of July and now, in October, the earth is bathed in diffused warm light complimented by a crisp blue ceiling. The hummingbirds left but there are plenty of nuthatches, finches, chickadees, titmice, downy woodpeckers and the large pileateds, jays, doves and owls. If you are not deeply in love with the world in fall, then you are truly hopeless and you have my sincere pity.

I had a delightful weekend blog summit with cyber and material friends who share this creative process of filling a blogger compose box. With my guests safely ensconced in the little cabin, I took to the freshly completed studio for my bedroom. My bathroom breaks were under a milky way as clearly defined as the deer path through hemlocks just a few feet away. An owl called from the woodlot to another on the edge of field and the waning moon was bright enough to make shadow. The early morning stars are the best of all as it truly is darkest before dawn.



Trout, and one of the chickens, watched over my guests as they (i hoped) slept peacefully to the sounds of flowing water and whirring night insects. Trout took advantage of having a house full of dog lovers but managed to be tolerable and possibly even charming in spite of her mercurial nature. She shined on the prey trail and flunked out totally at dinnertime as she silently moved in on unsuspecting guests, her snout inches from their plates. I had to correct her often which highlighted the fact that she is more of an independent contractor than a pet and that i am a lame and inconsistent pack leader.



The chickens were great of course. They free-ranged as always and greeted my guests when they arrived. They are just the most companionable little creatures, happily scratching out a living while us bloggers lounged about in lawn chairs discussing other bloggers over gimlets and a tequila shot. Easter always charms as she thinks she should be afforded the same privileges the dogs have, and inserts herself into the cabin often. On Saturday night, I actually allowed her to stay in for the night so she could hang out with the girls.



I managed to get some watermelons all the way to ripe this year by fencing them off from whatever critter ate them last year. I left one to harvest during the summit, and then forgot. We looked at the baby watermelons and felt sorry for their lack of light and the forecast of 40 lows to come that eve. These cute little late bloomers wont get any bigger so i will pick them and at least add them to some sort of gourdy pumpkin fall arrangement. I cant bear to just chuck them into the hedgerow like i did with all the extra too big cucumbers, which i never felt any tenderness towards. I don't really care about them so next year i'll do something else. There just isnt that much summer food I like. It's spring that has all the good stuff.



There wasn't a lot going on in the garden. We did eat some of the romaine, read leaf lettuce and spinach. Tomatoes were scarce but there were still peppers. Nasturtiums were loving the new cool air but the zinnia had grown leggy and the foliage had silvered with age and a light dusting of powdery mildew. The next few weeks i will prep the garden for winter and try a few experiments with my makeshift garden cloche and peruse the seed catalogs looking toward the new year which with each birthday, comes so much sooner than the year before.

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About a million years ago, Buzz won a contest correctly guessing what art i was making with the leftover triangles that were the by-product of my studio stairs. Buzz, here are a few of the available designs:







Of course, i can make any color combo or chicken breed you want so just say the word and i will send you your prize. You could use them as a door stop or as a handy weapon, or even as a folk art decoration. ;-)


And finally, some jewelweed. Hanging on to summer.

Field Trip: The Martyn House

Today Betty and I travelled south to Ellijay to assist our friend JoAnn Antonelli in an art project at her bed and breakfast the Martyn House. It's way more than a B and B though; its a farm, a nature sanctuary, an art and event space and a mountain paradise. The 130 year old farmhouse anchors a property with seemingly endless vistas of varied landscapes rich in design.


The property sings with spring. Flowering fruit trees, ample beds of violets and daffodils, emerging lily of the valley, hyacinth, and hellebores dot the landscape which rolls in and out of open space and into wooded areas where her indian gypsy faire tents await guests.

There are three smaller tents that serve as guest rooms nestled in the woods overlooking the main field, and there is one very large tent for events like the wonderful farm to table dinners they have. The little guest tents sleep two, and each have their own distinctive personality.

JoAnn has outfitted the tents with vintage linens and restored and refinished bathroom fixtures that she designed. The ceilings of the tents sparkle with tiny mirrors inside of golden stars. The tents have screened windows and ceiling fans as well as heaters making them a comfortable respite in all seasons.


A beautiful blossoming fruit tree beyond the porch was breathtaking against the sky.


A chair pair wait to be filled....maybe after the art project is completed.


The art project was to decorate 2 very orange porta-pottys brought in for the Martyn House's big tent events. We used Krylon Fusion paint which is for plastic. I was pleasantly surprised to discover how well and quickly it covered. We each did our own designs and they integrated nicely.


The wise owl advised me to take a break inside the big event tent when the spray paint started to get to me. ( Note to self: next time, bring a filter mask.)


Maya (pictured here) and Grace were relaxing inside the big tent.


JoAnn's john had a tie dye effect and was a great blend with the original orange color. Her designs reminded me of a hawaiian shirt, or maybe an island bar.


Naturally, my design had a bird and sky above foliage theme. We used various branches of leaves as stencils to create the patterns. Layering lots of colors gave the paintings depth and richness.


Betty used an ornate stencil and incorporated her signature pottery designs into the final.


Cheerful daffodils waved in approval.


When we finished we took a golf cart ride to the pond, looked at the new fish and tadpoles and watched the dogs swim and rough house. JoAnn pointed out clusters of jelly like blobs containing frog eggs. We took a tour into the forest to see a stick arch JoAnn made for couples to be married under and immediately Betty and I wanted to make one too....which we will in the next week or so. JoAnn bid us good-bye from her garden and we headed north in the old grey truck.

It was a perfect way to spend the afternoon, good friends, sweet fresh spring beauty and inspired and dreaming of ways to develop Chickory over the next years. Loved it.